


Protect Them

by Otherworldly_Sunsets



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Loki Needs a Hug, Loki is like Medusa, Lots of Angst, Marvel - Freeform, Odin cursed Loki, Odin is a horrible father, Other, Post-Avengers (2012), Pre-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Soulmate-like theme(s), Worthiness, You are an archaeologist, gender neutral!reader, loki deserves better, mcu - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23204890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Otherworldly_Sunsets/pseuds/Otherworldly_Sunsets
Summary: The legend goes as follows:After the events of 2012, The God of Lightning, Thor, took his brother, Loki, back home to Asgard with a promise that he would be contained and would never commit such a crime again. However, when Thor and Loki's father, Odin, learned of the severity of Loki's wrong-doing, he put a curse upon the trickster - a curse that doomed the God in a similar way to how the character in Greek Mythology, Medusa, was cursed: Snakes for hair, but also a bodily detail {scales, yellow eyes, a forked tongue}, and the ability to turn anyone he meets eyes with into stone.The difference is this: Odin, just as he did Thor, gave Loki a chance of finding a second chance; one that would lead Loki to find peace, tranquility, and genuine happiness alongside someone who Loki was unable to turn to stone. This person would be Loki's "soulmate" of sorts. Whether it be for romantic partnership or friendly companionship, this person would be able to help Loki go back to normal and, if/when he is ready, return home to Asgard.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Reader, Loki/you
Comments: 9
Kudos: 30





	1. The Legend

**Author's Note:**

> Hello There!  
> This is something that I came with not too long ago while looking at some Medusa-related things and, now, here we are! I genuinely hope you enjoy this story!  
> I had so much fun writing it and am looking forward to hearing your opinions on it!  
> Happy reading!

"Hey, ya'll! Got anything new to share?" You greeted your friends/colleagues excitedly as everyone's faces popped up onto your screen. With positive expressions of their own, some of the others all either shrugged or shook their heads in reply; all except for the newest member of the group, Serena, who practically leaped in her seat as she began to tell you all about a diamond mine she had found in Arkansas.

The youngest in the group, Darren, shared a playful look with the "leader" of the group - Savannah - who silently giggled behind her hand and glanced at you with a look of: 'we already know about this thing', to which you replied with a fond shake of your head.

This small group of people you had gathered up about a year or two and a half ago was made up of archaeologists, rock collectors, explorers, and/or meteorologists that all held the same passion for one thing: The unknown. There were four of you in total: all self-employed, hard-working, and ready to find new caves, caverns, deserts, etc. to explore in hopes that one of you would find something that would put your names in lights or, at the very least, the front page of the daily newspaper.

As Serena's heartfelt rant continued, your mind began to drift elsewhere, leading you to reopen a few tabs you had closed for the call. Your eyes scanned over the multiple lines of known information about the mysterious "Temple of Laufeyson" that many people throughout the world had been going on about since a strange something landed deep within a cavern in {Your Home Area}. 

Some said that the strange "something" was an alien-like asteroid or ship. Others said it was something like the army of Chitauri the God of Mischief, Loki, had brought with him to attack New York in 2012. You, however, preferred the theory that the "something" in the cavern was none other than Loki Laufeyson himself; banished from Asgard by Odin to forever rest in a state of darkness, loneliness, and fear until someone - a soulmate, possibly - avoided the curse given to the Mischievous God and helped him out.

The legend goes as follows: 

_After the events of 2012, The God of Lightning, Thor, took his brother, Loki, back home to Asgard with a promise that he would be contained and would never commit such a crime again. However, when Thor and Loki's father, Odin, learned of the severity of Loki's wrong-doing, he put a curse upon the trickster - a curse that doomed the God in a similar way to how the character in Greek Mythology, Medusa, was cursed: Snakes for hair, but also a bodily detail {scales, yellow eyes, a forked tongue}, and the ability to turn anyone he meets eyes with into stone._

_The difference is this: Odin, just as he did Thor, gave Loki a chance of finding a second chance; one that would lead Loki to find peace, tranquility, and genuine happiness alongside someone who Loki was unable to turn to stone. This person would be Loki's "soulmate" of sorts. Whether it be for romantic partnership or friendly companionship, this person would be able to help Loki go back to normal and, if/when he is ready, return home to Asgard._

_Perhaps the curse was to certify no further harm to humanity? Perhaps Odin was just a horrible father? Perhaps both? Either way, Loki was to forever lay alone in the cavern with, as far as it has been known, hundreds upon possible thousands of stone statues of those who had ever dared to enter the cavern and meet with the God._

The people that told this story were always considered either imaginatively-intelligent or childishly-minded. Who would believe a folktale about an overly powerful _Norse_ God of Mischief being turned into a creature that closely resembled one of _Greek_ Mythology and being banished into some cavern in {Your Home Area} without any attempt at fighting back? It all sounded so specific - _too_ specific - to be truthful.

However, the tale piqued your interest and you found yourself constantly reading more and more on the infamous Loki Laufeyson's tragic story of banishment, desperation, pain, and fear. 

It wasn't like you could help it. After the attack on New York in 2012, many people have questioned what the "All-Mighty" Thor did to his adoptive sibling. Did he take him back to Asgard, did he throw him into the deep depths of the Bifrost (or whatever it was called - you couldn't remember), or was the tale _actually_ true and _did_ Odin _really_ turn Loki into a horrific snake monster that can/will only be saved and cared for by one specific person of worth?

As crazy as the tale sounded, you couldn't help but be a little conflicted on whether or not the story was true. What with the reality of Gods, magic, power, flying robots, aliens, etc. in the world, who was to say? This was the thought that kept your interest in the story flowing. 

"Hey, [Y/N]!" Darren suddenly caught your attention, nearly blasting out your eardrums as he laughed at your stunned expression. "What are you doin' over there? Day dreamin' about what's-his-face again?"

"Loki?" Serena questioned, her rant seemingly long over. Her eyes seemed to light up again and she gently smacked her palms onto her desk. "OH! Aren't you going to that cavern-temple-thingy?" 

You softly chuckled at her excitement, remembering how you told her [and only her] of your idea for your next exploration. Darren's smile faded and his brows furrowed, his camera glitching a little as he leaned forward to get a closer look at, what you assumed to be, you.

"Wait a min..." He murmured, "you're _actually_ gonna go to that place?" He quirked up a brow, intrigued.

You laughed again, softer this time, and shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure, really. I was thinking about it, though." You replied honestly, looking down at your writing journal that was almost fully packed with notes on the legend before swaying in your chair a little. "It sounds like it'd be fun and, I mean, the cavern hasn't rightfully been explored yet so..." you trailed off, raising your brows at him with hope that he got your over-all point. 

"Uh-huh..." He seemed indecisive of what to say, a breathy chuckle soon slipping past his lips, "well, have fun with turning to stone, I guess." 

"Oh, I doubt that I will." You assured him, rolling your eyes and leaning over your notes to get closer to the camera and give him a playful look. "I'll take a mirror or something with me if need be. And, who knows? I might be that 'worthy someone' for him!" You then pushed yourself back into your chair, rocking back a bit with a teasing, triumphant laugh that one would expect a witch to let out.

"Oh, that poor guy." Darren teased back, rolling his eyes before snapping his fingers and attempting to get your attention again. "Yo, Sav is tryin' to talk to you."

You looked back at the screen, tilting your head a little as you looked closely at Savannah's screen, her hands coming into view before she signed:

"Finally. [Y/N], are you really planning on going to that cavern? Aren't you scared in the slightest?"

You softly smiled at her and leaned back again, looking up at your ceiling in thought before shrugging. "I'm not exactly 'scared'... I mean, what's the worst that can happen? This dude looks at me and I'm stone. Wow." You huffed out a chuckle and swerved a little in your chair again. "Hahappy trails, guys."

Serena let out a soft, playful whine and Darren rolled his eyes with a soft chuckle, you looked at Savannah's screen to see that she was signing something again.

"Well, good luck. Come back safely and let us know if you find anything."

"Will do." You said with a wink, signing off a few minutes later and going back to doing a bit more research.


	2. The Cavern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You listened intensely - possibly more intensely than you ever have before - for any sign of the other person making a move towards you. You wouldn't dare say anything, your voice caught in your throat anyway and your fear of the legend actually being true making you too frightened to move.
> 
> Suddenly, you heard a slight ruffling sound - the sound of someone moving along the rocky surface of the cavern either towards you or away. You could not tell, but you weren't just going to get up and check.
> 
> "Whoever is there..." The voice came up again, the tone filled with a sense of discomfort and melancholy. "Please... I need you to leave."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Two!  
> I really hope you guys like this one! Honestly, this is probably my favorite chapter so far.  
> Be warned: It is ANGSTY!  
> Have fun!

It had been about a week or so later when you decided that you were ready to finally go to the "Temple of Laufeyson", the journey there not taking too long as the cavern was fairly close by. 

You hiked down the fairly-long path to get to the cavern; the rocky, dirt road crunching beneath your boots with every step and making your nerves tense a little as you thought of what was possibly waiting for you up ahead. In an attempt to clear your rambling thoughts, you focused your hearing on the singing birds and soft winds that blew past you like a silk cloth. It soothed you, to say the least, but that didn't mean that you were not still overly nervous.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, you reached the entrance of the legendary cavern, looking along the designs of each stalagmite and stalactite and noticing a certain, strange pattern in them - a fancy carving in each one that reminded you of cave drawings in a way. Maybe it was nature being mysterious again? 

Shrugging the question off, you adjusted the bag on your shoulder with a soft huff and flinched a little at the semi-loud clank of the tools inside it [you hoped you hadn't left anything expensive in there], then, without looking back, you slowly stepped into the cavern and began to look around the cavern for any signs of mysterious entities lying about.

What you found was something far more beautiful than what you had ever imagined. From small pits amongst the cavern's walls rested many different types of beautiful snakes, slithering comfortably and presenting no harm towards you - one even flicked its tongue at you. You still kept your distance, however, not exactly feeling up to being bitten.   
'Maybe this is where people got the snake thing from,' you thought, smiling at one of the snakes as it flicked its tongue at you, 'just some little guys that want to say "hi".'

Along with the snakes, there were some more lovely carvings along the walls - different lines that made up an outline of a lovely piece of artwork someone might expect a sculptor to create. The farther you walked into the cavern, the darker it got, so you flicked on your flashlight and opened your bag to prepare for a possible gold mine of jewels, the coolness of the rocky area making a chill go down your spine.

As you got even farther into the depths of the cavern, you began to notice how the snakes became more... loud; their soft and gentle nature becoming more possessive as they twitched and hissed at something that you couldn't quite find. At first, you had thought it was you and were planning on turning around and going back to the light, but the sight of the snake's eyes flicking in the opposite direction of you made your curiosity grow until you found yourself in the largest, widest part of the cavern: the chamber. 

You looked around the chamber, the slightest sliver of sunlight from some cracks above allowing you to put away your flashlight and get a good look around. Gently reaching into your bag, you grabbed hold of one of the picks and pulled it out, looking around until you spotted something fairly shiny amongst more stalagmites and rock piles.

You approached the artifact slowly, not wanting to alert any possible snakes that may be resting beneath the rubble and risk getting bitten. Kneeling down as carefully as you could, you flinched a little as some sharpish rocks jabbed into your knee through your cargo pants. However, you just wiped them away and began to aim your pick towards the rubble-

" _I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream..._ " A sudden, smooth, accented voice began to sing to itself, humming more of the song soon after and making you gasp as the sound echoed off the walls of the cavern. You jumped, dropping your pick with a soft curse and flinching as it made a clang-like sound that echoed alongside the mysterious voice. 

A gasp sounded from, what you assumed was, the other side of the chamber, the cavern going dead silent right after and leaving you tense, still, and breathless. You listened intensely - possibly more intensely than you ever have before - for any sign of the other person making a move towards you. You wouldn't dare say anything, your voice caught in your throat anyway and your fear of the legend actually being true making you too frightened to move.

Suddenly, you heard a slight ruffling sound - the sound of someone moving along the rocky surface of the cavern either towards you or away. You could not tell, but you weren't just going to get up and check.

"Whoever is there..." The voice came up again, the tone filled with a sense of discomfort and melancholy. "Please... I need you to leave." 

Slowly, you tried to catch your breath, eventually being able to inhale and exhale deeply and feeling a bit of relief flood your chest as your lungs filled with air. Continuing this for a few moments, you finally began to sit up, clutching the handle of your pick and looking down at where the shiny object had been. 

Nothing was there anymore.

With another deep breath, you stood up and dusted yourself off a little, making the grave mistake of looking up and locking eyes with the one thing you had been researching for weeks.

"NO!" The creature screamed, turning away so fast it made you have to blink as you gasped in shock. For the longest moment, you stood there, panicking and looking down at your figure for any sign of stone. You didn't want to die; you were too young - there was no way you would die now. Not like this. 

But then, you paused; your panic ceasing as you found no sign of stone. 

'Run!' your mind screamed at you, your heart catching in your throat as your eyes moved back to the mythical entity before you. You couldn't run, however - your legs deciding not to work with you [due to shock, you concluded, not stone]. 

His back was no longer turned to you, his gaze falling back upon you with tears and redness in his reptilian eyes. He looked so lost - so broken that it made your heart break for him. Upon noticing that you were still breathing; still standing there and very much _alive_ ; his expression quickly became one of confusion and shock, his hands trembling as he looked down at them before looking back up at you again.

Suddenly, a wide, wobbly smile fell upon his face and he began to approach you, his eyes filling with realization and a strong sense of relief as he looked over your figure with a sincere laugh of disbelief. 

You took a step back from him, your eyes still locking with his as your brain tried to process what the Hell was going on. This creature - This _myth_ \- was actually true. And he was moving right in front of you, trying to reach out to you and bring you closer.

The feeling in your chest was indescribable - there was a tingly sensation that was filled with multiple emotions, the only ones you could recognize being empathy and shock. The rest made you feel as if you were floating - as if you were no longer in reality.

Noticing your step away, Loki faltered, his wobbly smile becoming a deep frown as his tears became saddened again. He wrapped his arms around himself and hiccupped out a sob, his gaze moving down to himself as his trembling became worse and his feet eventually gave out beneath him, his once soft, soothing, melodic voice becoming one of pure disdain and anguish as he threw his head back and screamed, the sound making you move back farther and tense even more as the cavern's walls shook.

"STOP IT!" He screamed to the ceiling of the cavern. "STOP! JUST STOP! I KNOW THIS ISN'T REAL!" His voice broke and he took a moment to regain his breath before continuing with a trembling tone. "THIS ISN'T FAIR! THIS ISN'T FUNNY, ODIN!" He let out a heart-wrenching sob that made you cover your mouth as your eyes filled with tears of their own.

You stayed silent, watching him curl into himself and scream at the King he believed was his father. You had no idea that the emotion behind Loki's side of the story ever ran this deeply.

"This HAS to be a dr-dream!" He looked down at the ground before him, his hands moving out and barely holding him up as he seemingly glared holes into the floor. Before you knew it, he was pounding his fists against his head and sobbing uncontrollably, his teeth gritted as he growled at himself: "Wake up! Wake up! Wake- Wake up, you pathetic serpent-!"

You removed your hand from your mouth, your voice soft and shaky as you called out: "Hey...!" However, he just kept harming himself, the snakes that made up his hair hissing and snapping at his hands in pain as he continued to beat his fist against his temple. 

You cleared your throat and leaned forward a bit, shifting your position until you got into a crawl and called out, louder this time, "Hey! Stop! You're hurting yourself!"

To your surprise, he stopped; his gaze remaining tearful and on the ground as he violently trembled and moved his hand down to his lap.

With a soft sigh of relief, you slowly began to approach him, your breath hitching a few times as the rocks beneath you jabbed into your legs again, probably leaving bruises that you would worry about later.

Once you were within arms distance from him, you slowly reached out to him, your hands hesitant as he slowly began to look up at you again, the sight of his face making your eyes widen a little. 

Scales littered the right side of his face, his eyes both reptilian, tearful and piercing as he stared into your own [Eye Color] ones with a strong amount of desperation and disdain. The snakes along his head were staring at you with tilted heads, flittering tongues, and hesitant frames, causing a strange urge to pet them and reassure them well up inside you. However, you kept your hands off of him, looking instead at his figure and finding that he was really quite battered - multiple scars visible through the ripped fabric of his Asgardian wear. 

You felt the urge to ask him about them, but kept that to yourself and looked back up to meet his eyes again.

He seemed to be awaiting your next move; his chest rising and falling with each shaky breath as his eyes flickered between your own. A tear fell down his cheek again as he momentarily glanced away, a look of doubt falling onto his face for the slightest moment before it turned back into desperation as he looked back at you. 

Your mind was racing; every last detail of information about this entity - this God before you - making your head nearly spin. The stories were true; of course; you got that down a short while ago. However, one thing still wouldn't leave your mind.

You were the one who needed to help Loki.

And you had no idea how the fuck you were going to do that.

"Loki..." You said his name softly, a twinge of fondness in your tone that seemed to catch him off-guard. He tilted his head a little and you slowly took a breath again before lifting your hand and motioning to his face. "May I...?"

"Wh-What?" His eyes began to fill with fear, his head moving back a little as he looked at your hand. Your heart broke once again, your expression softening as you slowly moved your hand closer to his face, your voice soft as you reassured him that you were not going to hurt him - that he was okay.

Before you knew it, you were caressing the scale-littered part of his face, your thumb gently gliding over the smooth features and wiping away the leftover tears that continued to run down his face. He sucked in a breath, his muscles tensing as he looked deeply into your gaze again, presumably searching for any sign of malice or dishonesty in your face. 

You gave him a soft smile, tilting your head a little to get a better look at his expression as your other hand slowly moved up and cupped the other cheek, cleaning it of the stray tears that made Loki look so horribly broken. 

You soon found that you hated seeing him like that.

The snakes along his head studied your hands intensely, some of them lightly nudging and flinching at them as if to test something. After a few moments of realizing that they could trust you, the long snakes slowly began to wrap themselves around your wrists, seemingly wishing to hug you and keep you beside Loki at all costs. 

As you watched this occurrence unfold, you began to feel Loki's hands slowly rest over your own, his skin smooth and soft against your own, which had long since become calloused and rough due to your work. You looked back at his expression, feeling yourself let out a breath of relief as you found him looking quite blissful, leaning into your touch with hardly any bit of hesitance.

"You're real..." Loki soon whispered, opening his eyes and looking at you with a new, much more positive expression. You softly laughed and nodded, the tingly sensation in your chest becoming more fierce as you began to relax before him. "You're _really_ real..."

"Yes, I am," You reassured him, allowing him to gently take your hand in his own and intertwine your fingers, "and I don't know how I'll do it, but I'll get you the Hell out of here... I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All stories I write/post will be on this account + my Tumblr account ("otherworldly_sunsets") ONLY!  
> If you see my stories under any other account on here, or on any other media, then someone stole my work. I will post this message on every story I write.  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for more!


	3. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a moment of silence, Darren's playful look became one of interest and he shifted closer to his camera again. "Do you have any idea how the Hell you're gonna get him out of there? Like... do you have a plan A?" 
> 
> You began to think about it, the tingly sensation in your chest returning yet again as your brain filled with ideas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> I am sorry for the time it took to complete this chapter.  
> Now, this chapter isn't necessarily filler, but it doesn't have any Loki other than him being spoken about. [I apologize for that, too!]  
> All-in-all, happy reading, and let me know what you think!

"I'm sorry... _what_?" Darren asked, leaning closer toward his camera and causing a bit of glitchiness to flash across his screen. You tapped your fingers along your desk, your leg bouncing beneath it as you took a deep breath and repeated yourself.

"I went into the cavern and..." another deep breath, "saw Loki."

"No fuckin' way." Darren leaned back in his seat and swiveled in it a little, his hand slowly draping over his face as he silently processed the words. You could tell that he was contemplating whether or not to believe you, and you were silently cursing yourself for not having any physical evidence. Looking down at your lap, you began to fiddle with your fingers, the worries of possibly losing your close friend flooding your mind more and more the longer it took for Darren to come to a conclusion.

A few moments later, he cleared his throat and you looked up again, meeting his eye and seeing no signs of disbelief or confusion - only intrigue.

"So, uh..." He cleared his throat a little and glanced away from your gaze in thought. You could just barely make out the shake in his head. "You saw this dude and... looked him in the eye?"

You nodded with a swallow.

"Mhm..." He nodded to himself, resting his elbow and running a hand through his curly, black hair in another moment of thought. 

"No stone on you?"

"None." You breathed out, the relief in your voice somewhat shocking you. Hadn't it already settled within you that you weren't presently a stone statue? Scratching your arm, you brushed off the question and continued to speak. "It shocked both of us."

"Yeah," Darren huffed out a laugh, "I bet."

You smiled, albeit nervously, and looked back down at your lap, taking a moment to re-process the events of the day before. 

Loki had been so gentle with you; so willing to let you in and befriend you that it nearly made you want to stay in that cavern with him for the rest of time. There was something so... compelling about him - something that drew you to him and you _knew_ it wasn't just that tingly sensation in your chest. 

That tingle. It felt so strange - so funny to you. It was truly indescribable; a feeling so strong. A feeling of hope, of longing, of a strange type of desire to be close to Loki; to stay there beside him at all costs and to _Get him the Hell out of there._

It was like you could feel a bit of what he was feeling. None of the horrendous pain, of course, but the little things that made up the ending feeling of... what was it? Could it be love? Was that too soon? Too "cliché"?

You took a deep breath again, feeling a shiver go down your arms as you began to wonder what would come of you and Loki.

Loki. The God that had been banished without a chance of apology. The God who's raven-black hair has long since been replaced by snakes, his eyes now reptilian and the shape of his torso giving him the ability to move more flexibly.

You thought of his voice and how it sounded when he broke down before you in a desperate call for some kind of reassurance or proof that you were real - the strain and anger in his tone as he screamed and cursed at the powerful being he had possibly once called "father", and the fear and anguish his voice held as he tried to wake up from a dream that he had no clue he was living.

Then you remembered how his voice softened with so much relief when he found out that you were real.

"Hey, [Y/N]?" Darren's soft voice brought you back from your thoughts, your gaze soon falling onto his own before he broke it again to twiddle his thumbs, his tongue gliding over his bottom lip as he took a short breath. "You're not going to leave us, are you?"

"Wh-What?" You replied, scooting forward in your chair to get closer to your own screen. 

"I mean, you're practically like a... I dunno, a prophet or something?" He shrugged a little before leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. "Man, you're gonna make history with this... I don't want to take that away from you." 

You felt your heart break a little, your expression softening as you opened your mouth to speak-

"But I don't want to let you go, either." He continued, causing you to shut your mouth again and lean back in your seat as your mind processed his words. 

"Darren, I..."

"You're my- _our_ best friend, [Y/N]." He said softly, sniffling a little when you looked up to meet his eyes. When you leaned forward to get a closer look, you saw that he had begun to tear up. "Honestly, you guys are all I have nowadays. This job, this incredible journey I've been able to go on with you guys, it's all been far too great for me to just drop...!" He smiled a little as a bit of reminiscence flashed across his face before fading back to a look of melancholy. He sunk in his seat and you folded your arms onto your desk, looking down at them as tears filled your eyes.

"Listen..." He began again, "I love you with all my heart. You're like a sibling to me, [Y/N], and now... with all this shit going on?" He waved his hand to the side, soon letting it drop against his side with a light 'pap'. "I just really don't want to let you go..."

"Then don't." You replied, wiping at your eyes as he looked at you, his brows furrowing and teeth irritating his bottom lip. You sniffled a little and took a breath, counting to five in your head before continuing.

"Darren, you're like a brother to me... you always have been. I'm not just gonna drop that for some kind of potential love story." A faint smile made its way onto his face and you found yourself smiling back. "However, I may not be able to talk as often due to... y'know... having to-"

"Get the snakey God out of the cave, I know." You chuckled as he smirked, a playful gleam in his eyes as he continued to look at you. After a moment of silence, his playful look became one of interest and he shifted closer to his camera again. "Do you have any idea how the Hell you're gonna get him out of there? Like... do you have a plan A?" 

You began to think about it, the tingly sensation in your chest returning yet again as your brain filled with ideas. 

Could you just leave with him next time you visited - just take his hand and let him follow you into the outside world? As fun as it sounded, it made you fear that anyone who may see you would immediately attempt to hurt or mock Loki. You didn't want that.

Could you try kissing him? No... no, far too quick and cliché for your liking. Sure, he was attractive and all, but he was also a _broken being._ He's been through far more than just Hell. A simple kiss cannot fix that.

Maybe a bit more time would be best. Getting to know each other better - forming a stronger bond than just the odd feeling in your chest that seemed to tie you to him. You wanted much more than just some prophecy love tale, anyway. 

With a sigh, you turned to Darren again and slowly nodded, a smile forming onto your face as you began to explain your thoughts to him. As you spoke, he listened intently and nodded with a genuine intrigue in what you were saying. At times, he would give his own input and you would discuss it [For example, he had asked: "what if some gift exchanges could go on? Maybe that way you can have both physical proof that you're not on LSD _and_ a stronger bond with the guy!" which had made you laugh]. And, in the end, you came to this conclusion:

Get closer to the God of mischief; allow the already-formed, destiny-type whatever the fuck to keep you two in a sort of tie together; exchange memories - personal or otherwise - and exchange gifts and trust with one another; form grand memories that you can share with the team [or maybe not, that was one of Darren's ideas]; and, in the end, possibly form a stronger relationship with Loki [not necessarily romantic, but when you had said _that_ , Darren gave you a funny look] and get the God out of that cavern and either back home or... wherever he wanted to be.

"Alright! Great!" Darren clapped, a big grin on his face as you wrote down the plan in your research journal, rereading some of your old notes on Loki and smiling as you remembered the God's words of relief and hope:

_"You're real... you're really real."_

"Yeah," You sighed, closing your journal and moving to put it in your bag. "Sounds like a plan."

Darren nodded, giving you a look of reassurance as the notification that both Serena and Savannah were calling popped up onto your screens, their faces soon showing up with wide smiled and excited eyes. 

"What did you wanna tell us, [Your Nickname]?" Serena chirped excitedly.

You took a deep breath, shifting a little in your seat as you prepared yourself to tell them.

"Well..."


	4. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Would you mind telling me a little more about yourself, Loki?" You asked, keeping your tone as gentle as possible as you looked at him for any signs of hesitance.
> 
> Loki, with a stunned expression, soon nodded. "Uhm, yes, of course! What would you like to know?" It was clear that no one had ever asked him a question like yours before, so you decided to keep it as comfortable for him as possible.
> 
> "Well, first off..." Your eyes skimmed a few lines of your notes before you caught one special one. "How exactly did this," you motioned to his snake-like figure with your pen and eyes, "happen?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! It has been completed!  
> I really hope you guys like this one!  
> It was a lot of fun to write and I hope it isn't too confusing!  
> Happy reading! :D

You entered the cavern with more certainty than last time, the strap of your bag sitting snuggly over your shoulder as you took each step with careful confidence. The snakes, some familiar to you, seemed to slither closer this time around, their eyes locked on you with a sense of remembrance that made your heart flutter with the idea that maybe, just maybe, Loki had something to do with the change in behavior.

The chamber of the cavern looked no different, the designs still the same and you felt yourself smile once you caught sight of Loki again, his fingers gliding across the delicate scales of a rather large snake - a Python, perhaps - that rested along his torso and lap as he softly hummed a melody to it and himself. 

Upon hearing you enter, he lifted his head and soon beamed, gently lifting the snake into his arms and setting it aside before approaching you. 

"You came back!" His voice was filled with relief and glee, his reptilian eyes scanning your face for any sign of discomfort or other sort of negativity that would make you not want him near you. When he found that there was no such look on your features, he gently reached out to take your hands in his own.

"Of course I did, Loki!" You snorted a little, lowering your bag until it rested gently on the ground, and placing your hands in his. "Why wouldn't I?" 

He seemed taken aback by your question, the answer he was initially expecting possibly being of a negative viewpoint judging by the falter of his smile. His eyes lost their shine for a moment, the color in them becoming a little darker as he moved his gaze away and mumbled something you could just barely catch:

"Odin said I was unlovable..."

"Oh, Loki, no..." You reassured him, gently pulling him closer until you could gently caress his face again - just like the last time you were there. His eyes fell back onto your own, his smile soon returning; albeit softly; as he leaned into your touch again. "Believe me, you are more lovable than half the population on Earth. Maybe even more than that."

He chuckled softly at that, soon deciding to drift onto how your days apart had gone (it had only been about 2 1/2, but Loki told you that it felt much longer without you). As the discussion went on, you and Loki wandered around the chamber, his words and honesty making your heart melt more than you had expected.

Feeling your legs grow a bit tired, you motioned for Loki to sit down on a rather large, flat-top rock, beginning to search through your bag for your journal as you came up with an idea. You pulled it out, clicking your pen and making Loki slightly jump at the semi-loud noise it made.

"What is that?" He asked, his head tilting a little.

"Oh, my journal?" You lifted your leather-back book. Loki shook his head and pointed to the pen, confusion evident on his face.

You looked at your pen, seeing the little dragon-like design etched onto the side of it and smiling. You have had that pen for as long as you could remember; an old friend having given it to you as a gift from a Festival overseas. You hadn't noticed that you had grabbed that one, but shrugged that thought off and answered his question simply.

"Just a pen. We use it to write and...stuff."

Loki nodded, a chuckle slipping past his lips. "Yes, I know that. I just have never seen one designed like... that." 

With a soft laugh, you nodded and looked down at your journal, flipping through a few pages before you got to the crucial notes on the God beside you. 

"Would you mind telling me a little more about yourself, Loki?" You asked, keeping your tone as gentle as possible as you looked at him for any signs of hesitance.

Loki, with a stunned expression, soon nodded. "Uhm, yes, of course! What would you like to know?" It was clear that no one had ever asked him a question like yours before, so you decided to keep it as comfortable for him as possible.

"Well, first off..." Your eyes skimmed a few lines of your notes before you caught one special one. "How exactly did _this_ ," you motioned to his snake-like figure with your pen and eyes, "happen?"

Loki shifted a little on the rock, the movement causing some discarded pebbles to fall on the ground and make a light, tapping sound that echoed across the cavern. He avoided your gaze for a moment, clearing his throat as he tried to find the right words to say.

"Yes, well, um..." He fiddled with his hands a bit, biting his lip before continuing: "...I had no idea what I was doing. All I remember is that I was being handed a scepter by someone who had more fingers than considered normal and... I was given a mission." He looked at his hands as if searching for more answers in them, his tone holding some strain as he tried to recall what happened. "Yes, a mission by a great Titan known as Thanos. Th-then... I..." His voice trailed off a little, his gaze falling onto your own. "I went to Earth."

"What did this 'Thanos' want?" You asked, writing some of the information down and keeping your attention on him. 

"He wanted me to retrieve an artifact known at the... Tesseract." He lifted his hands, squinting a little until a semi-large, glowing blue cube placed itself into his hand. You looked at it in awe, your eyes widening as you scooted closer to him. "This..." He said, "would be used in Thanos' plan to... to..." He paused, biting at his lower lip and twisting his wrists, making the illusion disappear. Sensing his fear of the memory, you gently placed a hand onto his shoulder and reassured him that he did not have to share anything he didn't want to. With a nod, he ran his hands over his face and let out a deep sigh.

"Anyway," you continued the questions, staying close to him in an attempt to soothe his nerves, "You said you had to go to Earth. How did that go?" You asked, writing something down and spotting the front of his neck rising and falling as he swallowed and took a deep breath.

"I landed in a workplace, I believe. Fairly large and filled with recent, Midguardian technology. It-"

"'Midguardian'?" You asked, your brows furrowing.

"Human." He explained, his shoulders somewhat relaxing as you nodded and wrote that down. He continued. 

"The technology was... quite exquisite, I must say. It intrigued me how far humans have come." He turned to you, a more relaxed expression on his face as he smiled softly. "I had never been on Earth until a fight with Thor. Something I may regret for the rest of my days." His smile faltered again before he got back onto the topic of humans and their technology, his eyes beginning to shine as he discussed how Thor seemed so excited and pleased with a lady named Jane - Jane Foster, you later found out - and a few other things. 

"Has Earth always fascinated you?" You asked, setting your journal aside and resting your arms on your knees as your focus went from research to getting closer to him. 

"Oh, yes, I believe so." He attempted to recall, his eyes moving to the top of the cavern as he leaned back with a soft sigh "I cannot exactly recall most of what I was like before the event here on Earth. However, I do recall some spite... jealousy against Thor and a desire to show my worth to Odin." 

"Why would you need to show your worth to Odin?" You gently placed a hand over Loki's own as you spotted tears in his eyes from your question. "Oh, shit, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"It's fine, my dear." He replied, turning to face you with a sad smile. You knew the conversation was about to get even deeper, so you listened intensely.

"I... I am not all I may seem to be. I had always felt that there was something else about me that made me different from the rest; from Thor; besides my looks and demeanor. It took me the longest time before I finally found out what it was." He looked down at his hands, closing his eyes for a moment and embracing the cold of the cavern until his skin became blue, his reptilian eyes becoming red.

You gasped, your hands flinching away from him as you felt just how cold he had become. With a chuckle, he turned back to normal, placing a hand over your own to show you that he was warmer again.

"I know. Quite strange." He moved away again and, with a sigh, began to swirl a little bit of green magic from fingertip to fingertip. "However, that is not all." He gave you an intrigued look. "You know of my magical abilities, yes?" You nodded and his lips twitched up a little.

"Yes. I am known as a Trickster - having more talents in the magical arts than I can count." He smiled to himself, moving his magic from one hand to the other for a moment before continuing. "However, I would not have the skills I do today if it weren't for my mother, Frigga," he paused at his mother's name, his tongue gliding across his bottom lip in thought, "I sincerely miss my mother. She was always so kind to me." The look on his face was covered in heartbreak, his eyes studying his magic closely in silence. "She forgave me for so many things that I will never forgive myself for." His voice broke a little, his mood dropping further.

You sat beside him in silent empathy and awe, his magic seeming to calm the both of you the more you looked at it. Eventually, his gaze fell upon your awe-struck expression and he sat up again, giving you a faint smile before twirling his wrist and making the green mist vanish in seconds.

After a moment, he said, "Odin told me Frigga was the only..." He took a moment to get his voice in check, "the only reason I was still alive. She is the only reason why I was turned into this -" He motioned to himself, "- rather than executed and..." He stopped, his eyes somewhat widening as a look of realization crossed his face. He gripped onto your hand tightly, making you softly hiss in pain. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to notice. "I-I don't believe I will ever see her again." His voice broke a little more, tears finally filling his eyes as he let go of your hand and covered his mouth.

You stayed still beside him, rubbing the pain from your hand and processing his words as he softly cried, the change in mood pulling at your heartstrings roughly and making you instinctively move closer to him. Slowly and carefully, you moved your arms around his waist in a hug, burying your face into his shoulder and gently rubbing his back in a desperate attempt to soothe him.

"Oh God..." He softly whimpered, "Oh God, what must she think of me?" He said through his growing sobs, the strain in his tone making your heart ache a little bit more.

"Shh, Loki, everything's alright... I'm sure your mother doesn't think of you any differently than she used to-"

"How could you know?" He snapped, flinching back from your touch and standing up. You flinched a little, too, looking up at him with a tinge of fear and worry. 

"Loki-" You tried to calm him, but he only stepped back and looked at you with furious, doubtful eyes.

"No." He stopped you, shaking his head and moving his gaze from your own. "You do not know my mother. She is a wise woman; a woman who would surely learn the truth of her beloved son -" He took a quick, sharp breath, "She would see nothing more than the monster he is and would forever abandon him!"

"Loki, stop it-!" You stood up and reached for him, barely dodging a hit toward your hand as his anger blossomed forth.

"NO!" His voice echoed off the walls of the cavern, the hissing from snakes rising in volume because of it. "Don't you get it?!" He then stepped forward, gripping onto your shoulders and making you flinch. "I killed thousands of mortals with an entire army! All of that blood is on my hands now and it is my fault for letting Thanos drag me down that far!" His tone grew more and more fierce, his voice growing louder and making you fear that he was going to end up harming you.

"Thanos," he continued, "that son of a bitch, he FORCED me to do it." You looked up at him again, his words catching your interest more than before. "The scepter, the stone inside it, the mocking laughter of the being I should have known was nothing more than an enemy trying to use me!" His grip loosened a little, the anger in his eyes slowly fading into recollection.

"I was nothing but a slave to him... a rat in his experiment to rip away half the Universe." His voice was much softer now, as was his grip. However, he couldn't seem to stop speaking. "It wasn't me... It wasn't, no, I was... I was under some sort of... spell..." He was beginning to fall from his anger high, you could tell. Who were you to not catch him?

"Loki, settle down, take a deep breath-" You clutched onto his arms and swayed with him a little, watching as the fire in his eyes settled and his gaze upon you softened again. "Sit down, Loki, you're alright."

Without any complaint, Loki allowed you to sit him down on the rock again, his eyes soon closing as he followed your directions and began to take deep breaths, your hands soon finding one of his own and your voice gently guiding him away from his emotional attack. 

As you waited for him to completely relax, you swiftly reached for your journal and flipped to a semi-empty page, scribbling down the new information all while softly reminding him that you were there; that he was going to be okay; that you were going to get him out of the cavern and back to Asgard. 

"I don't think I can ever go back to Asgard..." He suddenly spoke, his voice raspy and tone broken. You glanced at him swiftly, studying his position for a moment before finishing your notes and shoving your journal into your bag and fixating all of your attention onto him. Scooting closer, you rested your hand on his shoulder and searched his face for any sign of disapproval. After finding none, you slowly moved your arm around him again and gently rubbed his back, listening to his deep in/exhales of breath. Eventually, you felt him lean into your touch and move an arm around you as well.

"Forgive me, my dear..." He apologized softly, "my behavior was uncalled for." In response, you softly nodded and moved until you were able to look him in the eye. You knew that you didn't want to say 'it's okay,' because that wasn't enough. No, you needed something more; something that would possibly help him grow rather than hold him back in his thoughts of the past. 

He had just confessed something so big that you were still trying to process it. 

The attack on New York was not _Loki_ Loki. It was this 'Thanos'' _version_ of Loki. 

_Loki_ is a _victim._

With a short breath, you stood up and gripped onto his hands, intertwining your fingers together and bringing him closer to you. His breath, you could just barely hear, caught in his throat as he looked into your eyes with great hesitance and stood before you, his legs slightly shaking. You could see a slight hint of fear in his eyes and, for a moment, considered letting him go and just sticking to an "it's okay". 

However, you knew better.

"Loki..." You began, "If what you are saying is true, then this whole destiny thing just got a lot more interesting." You felt that that statement was meant to be amusing, but found that neither of you even cracked a smile. 

"Are you still going to stand beside me through this?" He asked, his voice wavering a little before he took a soft breath. You nodded in reply, squeezing his hands a little before letting them go and moving your arms around his waist, pulling him into a hug. As he slowly moved his arms around you to return the gesture, the tingly sensation in your chest returned and made you tighten your grip on him a little.

You felt protective of Loki.

"Of course I am. No matter what, I will stand by you." _'After all, it's what I am meant to do',_ your thoughts wanted to continue, but you kept those words to yourself. They would have made you sound far more uncaring than you ever wanted to.  
This whole thing was not just because of some 'destiny'; some 'prophecy' that Odin sent out as he banished the son he never cared to properly support. This was for Loki; for Loki to find companionship, to find trust and honesty in someone that was not only 'deemed worthy', but in someone that earned that worthiness. 

_'The team can wait,'_ you decided to yourself after a long moment of holding the God, the sound of his heartbeat soothing your nerves and making you relax against him, _'Loki needs me first.'_

And, as you broke the hug and saw that special, relieved smile on Loki's face again, you knew that that decision was final.

**Author's Note:**

> All stories I write/post will be on this account + my Tumblr account ("otherworldly_sunsets") ONLY!  
> If you see my stories under any other account on here, or on any other media, then someone stole my work. I will post this message on every story I write.  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for more!


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